In a lighting arrangement lighting devices may be mechanically attached via a track connector anywhere on a continuous track or rail which comprises electrical conductors for electrically connecting the lighting device to, for example, a power supply. The track comprises a housing with one open end for mechanically and electrically receiving the track connector. One track may comprise a plurality of track connectors. The track may have more than one conductor electrically isolated from the housing, so that multiple switched circuits can be used to control different lighting devices on the same track. The electrical conductors for powering the devices and for the (digital) communication are located at the inside of the housing of the track. These lighting arrangements with tracks can be mounted to ceilings or walls, lengthwise down beams, or crosswise across rafters or joists. The arrangements can also be mounted on relatively high locations, like ceilings, using rods. Typical arrangements are supplied with a line voltage (100V in Japan, 120V in North America, 240V elsewhere) via a recessed track.
Lighting arrangements with tracks on which the lighting devices are mounted are also available with a low voltage applied to the track, for example 10V, 12V, 24V or 48V supplied by a transformer. Also electrical conductors for digital control interfaces such as DALI may be incorporated in the track to independently control the lighting devices. The lighting devices are attached in different ways to the track through track connectors suitable for a specific track design.
Alternative lighting arrangements comprise luminaires that are recessed in a ceiling with electrically conducting cables interconnecting the luminaires.
Nowadays more lighting devices comprise Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Also track lighting arrangements are available for LED lamps. Furthermore LED modules, lamps or luminaires are available which have additional functionality. These so-called intelligent LED modules are adapted to collect and store characteristic information and parameters of the LED light sources. Furthermore these intelligent LED modules are adapted to communicate this collected information, for example on the respective power consumption or usage of a LED light source, to, for example, a cluster controller which can take the appropriate action in response to this information. Because of the flexibility of a lighting arrangement with a track system, one or more LED light sources may be connected to the tracks and the power usage varies not only as a function of time but also as a function of the number of LED modules connected to the track. Further, it may occur that the power load of a track system configuration exceeds the maximum output power of the power supply. Also in case of a lighting arrangement comprising luminaires with LEDs that are electrically interconnected with electrical wiring it may occur that the power load of the lighting arrangement exceeds the maximum power output of the power supply, because of the amount of LEDs that are connected to the power supply. Also the maximum allowed current through the interconnecting wiring can play a role in the design and maximum allowed power of such a lighting arrangement, for example in case the maximum power output of the power supply exceeds the maximum allowed current through the cables.